


Fix

by absolutelyCancerous (cal1brations)



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: Aoba just loves his fluffy bud that's all, Domestic, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Minor Ren/Seragaki Aoba, Noiz is a good sport about stuff when it comes to Aoba, Noiz' Good End, Post-Canon, because he is HELLA GAY, which is very platonic btw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-30 15:47:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3942466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cal1brations/pseuds/absolutelyCancerous
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aoba is sitting in front of the refrigerator when Noiz finds him, in rumpled pajamas, shaking Ren in his hands like one would exactly <i>not<i> hold an infant. His hair is a tangled mess that he shoves behind his ears with little care as he tells Ren to power on, please-- why are you rebooting <i>again</i>? Ren?</i></i></p><p> Ren's a pretty old AllMate, susceptible to many a technological breakdown. It's just a good thing for Ren and Aoba that Noiz is the computer whiz he is. (And also Aoba's dutiful boyfriend.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fix

**Author's Note:**

> Noiz seems much better with computers/software/tech junk than Aoba, I think. Hence, this thing happened.

Ren is an odd AllMate.

He is old-- _really_ old. Aoba always insists he doesn't want anyone else, though, and Noiz always sighs. They've had this discussion several times, but Aoba always wins, and Noiz always ends up trying to tweak codes so Ren can update his software; he has no idea how Aoba was doing anything on the software he had on Ren before, and even now, he's a good handful of updates behind, as far as Noiz can tell.

Then again, Noiz really doesn't understand much of the relationship between Aoba and Ren.

However, today is not a work day, which is awesome. Today is when Noiz can sleep in until noon if he feels like it, maybe work some nookie out of Aoba before they get up, and he can laze around the entire day. He even has Usagimodoki in Do Not Disturb mode, because really, he does not give a _fuck_ about any email from work, nor any call. He wants to laze around with Aoba for the day.

But, at a whopping, crack-of-dawn o'clock (well, for a weekend), Aoba is screaming "Ren? _Ren_!" and Noiz's body is already moving automatically to get to Aoba as fast as it can (without stumbling around in his sleep-addled state). It's instinct to be beside him, whether Aoba actually needs him or not in the given situation.

Aoba is sitting in front of the refrigerator when Noiz finds him, in rumpled pajamas, shaking Ren in his hands like one would exactly _not_ hold an infant. His hair is a tangled mess that he shoves behind his ears with little care as he tells Ren to power on, please-- why are you rebooting _again_? Ren?

"Aoba," Noiz says softly, sliding down to the floor in front of him. He puts his hands on Aoba's arms to get him to stop shaking his AllMate so roughly-- much too violent for something so delicate. "What happened?"

"He-- I just," Aoba stammers, and then he's actually crying, with actual tears dripping down his cheeks as he pulls Ren to his chest and pets him, so upset he's trembling. "I was," he hiccups, "making coffee, and I-- I asked him, to-- he just _rebooted_ , Noiz," Aoba tries hard not to wail in Noiz's face. "And then he was trying to do a system recovery and what if that means he--"

"You're going to break him like that; let me see him," Noiz tries gently, and Aoba guards Ren for a long moment more, uneasy, before he lets Noiz pull Ren out of his arms. He gets up to his feet, cradling Ren protectively in one arm as he reaches for Aoba with the other. "Let's go look at him, yeah? C'mon."

Aoba frowns, but nods, getting up to his feet with Noiz's help. They go back upstairs to the office, and Noiz moves some things on his desk (including a few Usagimodoki that he bumps with his hand until they roll out of his way) so he can set Ren down flat. He clicks open the hollow port behind Ren's head, peeks in there before hooking him up to the computer. Ren really is something incredible, Noiz thinks with great amusement, because he's running about eight updates behind-- he has to use an older software just to look at Ren's cross-section.

Aoba stands right behind Noiz's chair while he's working on Ren, and Noiz has to try extremely hard to ignore Aoba while he looks at Ren's stats. But, well, Aoba's breathing down his neck, and it's kind of hard to do much with Aoba hovering over him, with concern dripping off of him in thick waves; Noiz understands he's anxious, but he can only do so much at a time for him.

"So?" Aoba asks, and Noiz sighs.

"I don't know," he admits easily, because Noiz is always up front about whatever needs to be said. "I'm going to scan him for internal and external damages," he explains, then looks to the anxious Aoba, frowning a little at the sight of him. "Why don't you have something to eat downstairs while I set this up?"

Aoba shakes his head, and Noiz sighs again, reaching to smooth a hand over Aoba's arm as comfortingly as possible. "It's gonna be awhile," he tells him plainly-- no sense trying to sugar-coat it, especially because Aoba's already nervous as it is. "Just grab something and bring it up here, okay? At least some coffee-- you're shaking."

A long pause, but Aoba nods, clearing his throat as he slowly shuffles out of the room, sparing one more glance before he disappears from Noiz's line of sight, and he hears Aoba pad down the stairs quietly. He focuses on setting up a diagnostic for Ren, once he can launch software old enough to read Ren's data, and sighs as he sits back-- it says it'll take around half an hour to scan the entirety of his files, and there's no sense in hovering. Watched pots and boiling, after all.

Except Aoba shuffles back into the room before Noiz can get up, managing a mug of coffee in each hand. He hands one to Noiz quietly, gnawing his lower lip as he wraps both his hands around his own mug, watching Ren's scan progress on the monitor. Noiz wants to suggest they leave, at least go sit downstairs so that Aoba doesn't need to sit in his anxiety as he waits for word on Ren, but he knows how Aoba gets with Ren, so he just moves up from his seat, guiding a surprise Aoba to sit down. He should at least be able to sit comfortably, Noiz thinks.

He leans against the desk instead, and when a few Usagimodoki start tumbling around with concerned little chirps, before Noiz can snap at them to be quiet, Aoba starts toying with them instead, petting them with his fingers and watching them twirl circles at the delicate attention.

Noiz waits with him instead.

(Except the Usagimodoki decide to take turns chirping things like "Ren is sick!" and "Oh _no_!" and Noiz's name a million times over, which promptly gets them set in silent mode, for both his and Aoba's sake; Aoba looks a little pale at the reminder that Ren isn't doing too well.)

* * *

 

Nothing's wrong with Ren externally, which is great, but Noiz sighs when he looks over the results from the internal diagnostic, trying to hide his grimace into his hand as he reads. He's got a couple of bugs, but Noiz wouldn't expect any less, only because Ren is old and, well, it's hard to get him software that runs decently without slowing him down-- most anti-virus software is made for models that came long after Ren's. But it's nothing Noiz can't fix, of course.

Telling Aoba that he kind of sucks with technology is going to be rough, though.

Aoba looks like he might pass out from the welling anxiety as he watches Noiz look over the results of the scan, and Noiz sits back a little, looking to him quietly before letting his gaze fall to Ren. He even spares him a little pet, poor guy. Even if Noiz would generally see him as what he is, an AllMate, a _machine_ , Aoba's attitude towards him has been rubbing off on Noiz quite a bit-- his Usagimodoki can vouch for that. They’re fond of getting pets nowadays.

"Do you know what happened?" Aoba asks quietly, and nibbles at the corner of his thumb nail. Aoba is very gorgeous, but anxiety is not the best look for him, Noiz thinks quietly to himself.

He nods, gesturing to the screen. "It looks like he just downloaded one bug too many. He's a tough guy," Noiz teases, looking to Aoba again. Aoba does not look very pleased.

"Bug? Like a virus?" _Weeros_ , he says. Adorable.

"Yeah, like when you go on shoddy porn sites," Noiz tells him, and Aoba's face goes absolutely red at the obvious accusation. Delightful. "Or just shitty sites in general. Sometimes weather apps or unsecure mail apps are easy ways to get something, too; your weather app was pretty outdated, actually."

Aoba sighs, rubbing a hand over his face a little. "I haven't updated Ren's software in a long time," he admits, embarrassed. "Probably since right after we got here. It just, like-- the update I gave him took so long for him to download, I was worried he'd break or something," he explains, frowning at Noiz. "This is my fault, huh."

"Not really," Noiz answers immediately, dragging the screen he's looking at a little closer, as well as the keyboard, so he can start working. "It happens. Not to _me_ ," he adds, playful, focusing on the fixes he'll have to make. "But it happens. Besides, this is easy stuff-- I'll probably be done with him by tonight, so you can snuggle up in bed with him and ignore me like you normally do."

"Are you jealous of an _AllMate_? Suddenly I'm really worried about this," Aoba teases weakly, but he's smiling a little, so he must not feel as awful as he did before.

Noiz snorts, rolling his eyes. "I don't know why you like having a dog in the bed," he mutters, and Aoba flusters quickly.

"I _always_ set him down on the floor when we're going to sleep! You're being dramatic."

"You're the one who babies him."

Aoba sneers. "I've seen you talking to him when you think I'm in the shower, don't even lie! Ren's a good boy," he mumbles, apparently taking offense on Ren's part while he's incapacitated. Noiz doesn't bother smothering his grin, because it makes Aoba whine a little more, and that's pretty funny.

"Scoot," Noiz tells him, tapping on the desk chair. "Let me work on him. I'm gonna update him so next time he'll have a fighting chance, at least," he explains, and Aoba pouts a little bit as he gets up from the seat, watching Noiz flop down. However, Aoba just kind of stands there and watches for a little while, so Noiz gives him a little nudge with his foot to get him move.

"Aoba," he tells him, turning to give Aoba his full attention. "I made a career out of stuff like this before I was eighteen. I'm pretty sure I know how to fix up a sick AllMate. Give me some credit."

The words make Aoba blush a little in embarrassment, and he nods, because Noiz is right. He steps back to leave, then moves in to kiss Noiz's temple. "Thank you," he whispers into his hair, and Noiz is so surprised by the action that he doesn't get to kiss him back before Aoba pulls away and glides out of the room.

Noiz smiles with a little sigh, moving to drag his legs up into his seat, making himself cozy with several screens projected in front of him, eyes flickering to Ren every now and again as he works on him.

* * *

 

He does not finish by dinner time, which sucks, but Aoba orders pizza, which is _awesome_ , so. Win some, lose some.

They eat in his office, and Noiz tries to eat with one hand and work with the other, but Aoba feels too guilty to let that happen for much longer, so he forces Noiz to minimize his screens and actually eat with Aoba on the floor of his office. They talk casually for a total of five minutes before Aoba seems a little awkward, and Noiz knows he's itching to ask what the hold up has been.

"I ended up having to reformat a lot of his files to update his software," Noiz explains, licking his fingers on one hand as he reaches for another slice with his other. "Who the hell uses .zip files on an AllMate?"

Aoba shrugs, meek. " _I_ don't make them .zip files," he mumbles (does not add that he really doesn't know _how_ to change the formats of files in the first place), picking mushrooms off his slice and dropping them onto Noiz's. "Sometimes it's just what you download it as. Besides, I'm not as bad with tech stuff as you're making me out to be! I've had Ren since I was, like, _nine_. I've taken good care of him! I've had him this long," Aoba huffs, and Noiz blinks, because he hadn't known that little bit of information. That's over ten years.

Aoba seems disturbed by Noiz's silence, giving him a look, and Noiz shrugs, devouring another slice of pizza; he skipped lunch, so he's starving. Also, he loves mushrooms. "That's a long time."

"I love Ren," Aoba answers easily. "He's important to me."

Noiz nods, because if Aoba feels anything for his damn AllMate that Noiz feels for Aoba, well, Noiz definitely understands why Aoba was a sobbing mess on the kitchen floor this morning. To love something so much that it hurts to watch anything bad happen is a pretty wicked feeling, Noiz can now say with grave certainty.

Nonetheless, their impromptu meal ends, and Noiz wipes his hands clean with a mutter of thanks before he slithers back up to his seat. Aoba cleans up around him, sneaking in a little pet for Ren that he thinks Noiz doesn't notice, but Noiz keeps quiet and works diligently, resisting the urge to peek through Aoba's saved files on his AllMate, only because that's as awful as going through someone's phone, or laptop, and Noiz is not a total asshole.

Later, Aoba comes back to the office, clad in pajamas as he hangs in the doorway, curious as he watches Noiz going through line after line of coding.

"What?" Noiz asks without looking up, only because he doesn't want to lose his place-- he'll have to start over again.

"Don't you want to sleep?"

"I'll get this done first," Noiz says quickly, eyes flickering along lines of code, fingers typing a few strokes every now and then. Aoba is quiet for a long moment, before he sighs, arms crossed over his chest in less of an upset manner, but a shy one, and steps back into the hall.

"Okay," he says softly, then, even softer, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Noiz bids easily, and listens to Aoba shuffle quietly to bed. He feels bad, because he doesn't like Aoba looking like that, like he feels a bother to Noiz-- Noiz just wants to do something to make him happy. Like fixing up his AllMate so Aoba can rest easy for a bit.

At least this time doesn't involve a screwdriver slicing his hand, he thinks with a little chuckle as he reaches out to give Ren a little pet. He makes sure he doesn't hear Aoba walking anymore, before he leans in, smoothing back Ren's soft fur from his tiny face, giving it a ruffle as he gives him a little kiss as well.

"Almost done," Noiz mumbles, before he sits back and focuses on finishing.

He wants to sleep a _little_ tonight, at least.

* * *

 

It's only around two in the morning when Noiz finishes, a few last-minute add-ons he decided on-- mostly more updates for applications and tweaks to his system interface, but nothing to change Ren too dramatically. He powers Ren on when he finishes up to see how he runs, watching the little thing look confused when he stands up, still on Noiz's desk, and with _Noiz_ before him, which is even more odd. He cocks his head.

"Where is Aoba?" Is the first thing Ren asks after he’s been reconfigured. Amazing.

Noiz puts a finger to his lips, which makes Ren bow his head politely. "Asleep," he whispers, leaning in close so they can speak a bit easier. "How do you feel?"

"Much better," Ren tells him truthfully, and the little wag of his tail makes Noiz smile.

He turns to shut down his computer, before he quietly picks up Ren from his desk. He's pretty heavy, in the sense that a small dog can be, and Noiz carries him like Aoba often does, Ren against his shoulder while he pets his back. He takes him to the bedroom, where he gently sets Ren to the floor and gives him a little pat. He grins as he watches Ren zip off to jump on the bed, wobbling his way over the covers to find Aoba, and noses at him eagerly, tail thrashing in excitement. Aoba makes a gurgled groan at the attention, lifts his tired head up, and immediately gasps with a bright smile as the throws himself to sit up, pulling Ren into his arms.

" _Ren_!"

He blubbers a bit, and Ren is amazingly patient, between licking Aoba's face and enjoying all of the affection Aoba gives him. When he has a moment, Aoba looks up to see Noiz in the dark, sliding out of his shirt as he crosses the room towards the bed.

"You fixed him," Aoba says bluntly, and it's obvious he's just amazed that Noiz would work so hard on Aoba's AllMate, nonetheless, Ren being as old and out-of-date as he is.

Noiz nods, though, moving to pull the covers back and slide into bed beside Aoba, giving Ren a few pets himself. "I told you, it was easy stuff. It just took a little longer," he mumbles, and Aoba smiles, trying to get Ren to settle down and stop trying to turn circles in his lap. Ren settles down enough for Aoba to lie back against the pillows, and he spends a long time petting Ren with gentle hands, as if he hasn't seen the pup in an achingly long time. Noiz watches quietly, smiling a little into his pillow as he yawns out, "He can sleep up here, if you want."

Aoba seems embarrassed, and Noiz just shrugs at him, nuzzling his cheek against the pillow. "I just don't want him in my face," he explains. "Keep him on your side and he's golden."

So Aoba moves to set Ren down on his side of the bed. Before he turns his back to Noiz (not that he's _ignoring_ him, he just really loves Ren, too!), Aoba spares Noiz a few little kisses, nuzzling their foreheads together for a moment.

"Thank you," Aoba whispers to him. "I know I'm a pain sometimes, but this... was..."

Noiz rolls his eyes, giving Aoba a little nudge. "Go to sleep," he mumbles. "I wanted to do it for you, that's all--"

"Don't start with _that_ attitude again, Noiz!" Aoba protests loudly, and Noiz laughs out loud, shushing Aoba with a little pat on the shoulder. Aoba settles down, back to Noiz, and Noiz smiles as he slides up against him, making himself cozy around the curled shape of Aoba's body. He closes his heavy eyes, tired from staring at computer screens for so long-- he hasn't done that in quite some time, actually-- and he _almost_ falls asleep.

However, he feels Aoba shifting a little, and Aoba makes this soft little hum, as if he's trying to think of something to say. He forces himself to stay awake, in case Aoba is going to talk to him, but the words Aoba speaks are not for him, apparently.

Especially since Ren says something first.

"I am sorry," Ren tells him with great sorrow, and Noiz imagines he must be sulking, or at least, feeling horrendously guilty. If AllMates can feel things like that (it wouldn't much surprise him if Ren could, with the heart and soul Aoba pours into him). "I'm certain that I've been a terrible hindrance on both of you, and I--"

" _Ren_ ," Aoba whispers to stop his apologies, and he shifts a little closer to the AllMate, from what Noiz can make out. There's a long beat of silence, before he hears Aoba's quiet murmur of, "Thank you, Ren."

Ren makes a small noise, be it content or concern, Noiz can't quite tell, but Ren answers with the most fond (if only slightly hesitant), "It... is my pleasure, Aoba," that makes Noiz feel a little better about putting as much effort as he did into fixing up Ren for him.

Noiz stays quiet, nodding off as he feels Aoba's arm moving gently, probably petting Ren. He falls asleep  with ease, with the thought that he has definitely relieved Aoba's pressing anxieties over his mechanic companion, for the time being.

* * *

 

When Noiz wakes in the morning, it's mostly because his face itches like a motherfucker, and he blinks his eyes open to find himself with a faceful of Ren, Aoba's presence in bed nonexistent. He frowns, and Ren wiggles a little knowing that Noiz has woken up, turning his head to bump his muzzle to Noiz's head, affectionate; Noiz grunts in response.

"Good morning, Noiz," Ren greets, and Noiz grunts again, nodding into his pillow.

"Where's 'oba?" Noiz slurs sleepily, and finds himself too cozy in his messy cocoon of blankets to bother moving when Ren settles himself down beside Noiz's shoulder, suddenly insistent on being beside him-- which is weird, because usually he doesn't tend to leave Aoba's side (or his heels, for that matter).

"I believe he is downstairs making coffee for the both of you," Ren explains, then nudges at Noiz gently. Noiz lifts his head to spare Ren a look, quirking a brow. It's.... weird, talking to an AllMate like a person. Ren is a weird one indeed.

Ren stays quiet for a moment more, before the words practically fall out of him. "I would like to thank you for yesterday," he says, with a little hesitation, as if he fears Noiz may not be listening to him. "I am certain I was a b-- _ah_ \--?"

Noiz cuts him off with a little pet, scratching behind Ren's ears, which makes Ren tilt his head back, looking extremely pleased with the attention. Noiz doesn't need to hear all of Ren's apologies, only because he heard some of them last night (which he shouldn't have listened to) and because, well, it really isn't a big deal.

He says so. "It's not like some big thing," Noiz shrugs, turning a little on his side so he can continue to give Ren pets. Ren wriggles forward so he can get more attention, which is cute, so Noiz indulges him-- Aoba isn't here to do it, anyway. "You're pretty important around here, y'know," Noiz adds, and Ren cocks his head.

"Important," he repeats, but it's clear Ren doesn't understand.

"You take good care of Aoba," Noiz clarifies. "Watching the house when we're not home, watching _Aoba_ when he _is_ home," Noiz adds, teasing. "Have to make sure you're in good enough shape to do your job, yeah?"

Ren nods, squirming forward so he can lick Noiz's face, which is actually sort of gross.

This is apparently an invitation for the Usagimodoki to chime in on, chirps of "P!" and "Noiz!" and " _Kisses_!" going off as he gets bombarded with at least five hyperactive cubes in addition to Ren, Noiz groaning as he slides his hands over his face, trying to hide away from the attention.

"Everyone except me gets a good morning kiss, is that how it is now?" Aoba's asking, and Noiz sits up on his elbows, arching a brow.

"I have puppy breath now, you want me to lay one on you, too?" Noiz asks, and Aoba grimaces, bringing him a mug of coffee, crawling back under the covers; apparently he's cold, because he manages to scoop up Ren in one hand and set him down over his feet atop the covers, trying to keep his toes warm.

Noiz sips coffee and nestles in with Aoba, hushing a few Usagimodoki as he relaxes again. Ren sits dutifully at Aoba's feet, going into standby when he is quiet for too long, and Aoba smiles at the sight of him, kissing Noiz's cheek gently.

"Thank you," Aoba tells him again, and Noiz nods. He doesn't see it as something to be thanked for, so much as something that had to be done. But he manages to keep that to himself, resting his head on Aoba's shoulder as they relax together, if only for a little while. All is right in the mid-Sunday morning, with Aoba here beside him, relaxed and easy and _happy_ , and that's what matters, really.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a very vague knowledge of broken software. I have even less knowledge on fake broken software for imaginary technology.
> 
> Also, I'm very fond of the idea that Aoba's doting habits with Ren tend to rub off on Noiz a little bit regarding his little cube companions.


End file.
